Friday, March 30, 2012

Tonight was the second men's fellowship that I put together. We had a short study on "What Is A Man of Courage?" that I lead. Teaching is all new to me but I thought it went pretty well. So I thought I would post my outline. It's pretty short and there was a lot of input from the rest of the men, but here is the basics.

What Is A Man Of Courage?

"Courage is not limited to the battlefield or the Indianapolis 500 or bravely catching a thief in your house. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are the inner tests, like remaining faithful when nobody's looking, like enduring pain when the room is empty, like standing alone when you're misunderstood."

— Charles Swindoll

Main Verse

1 Corinthians 16:13

Amplified Bible (AMP)

13Be alert and on your guard; stand firm in your faith ([a]your conviction respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, keeping the trust and holy fervor born of faith and a part of it). Act like men and be courageous; grow in strength!

1.The word "courage" is from the Greek word "tharrhountes". It means to be bold and confident.

2.A very similar word in the Greek is "tharseo". It is translated "take courage" or "be of good cheer"

Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.

- C.S. Lewis

Virtue- definition

1.moralexcellence;goodness; righteousness.

2.conformityofone'slifeandconduct to moral and ethical principles;uprightness;rectitude.

As men of courage we should have moral excellence, righteousness, and goodness. We know that God is goodness itself. So if we have goodness as one of our attributes it can only come from the source of all goodness.

What does God Promise if we are courageous men?

Proverbs 29:18

Amplified Bible (AMP)

18Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.

Replace “these people” with my family.Joshua 1:3-9I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you ... No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people(my famlily) to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.(NLT) God’s promise in these verses.

1.We will be blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable)

2.We will possess the land

3.We will be successful in everything we do.

4.He will be with us wherever we go.

 Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

- Winston Churchill

 Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.

- Billy Graham

If we are men of courage it will rub off on others. Our kids, grandkids, and the kids at church, look up to us and often want to be just like us. We are always an example to those that look up to us, whether good or bad. When we are living like men of courage we are training the next generation to be courageous.

THE RESOLUTION

·I DO solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.

·I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.

·I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me.

·I WILL bless my children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.

·I WILL train them to honor authority and live responsibly.

·I WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy.

·I WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.

·I WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of my family.

·I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.

·I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.

·I WILL seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.

·I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.

About Me

Let's see what to write about myself. I'm married, currently living in Arlington, Tx. Hopefully soon we will be adoptive parents. My free time is usually spent fishing, on the net, or reading. I played guitar in the band Bloodwork for about a year, which was a lot of fun. My wife and I are very active at our church. I'm also the sound guy and put together all the powerpoint presentations,